Grand Rapids schools board member wants to revisit sign-up rule for public comments

The Grand Rapids PressJon O'Connor, member of the Grand Rapids Board of Education.

GRAND RAPIDS -- Jon O'Connor, Grand Rapids Board of Education member, wants the board to revisit a January discussion about its policy requiring people to register in advance to comment on non-agenda items at meetings.

The board's ad hoc policy review committee met Thursday and O'Connor, a member, spoke of his desire to clarify policy for bringing the issue back before the board. In January, he made a motion to end the policy but it failed on a 4-4 tie vote with one board member absent.

During that meeting, residents told the school board its policy was unreasonable, inconvenient and undemocratic. There are two ways for people to speak at board meetings. To discuss non-agenda items, people must register by 4 p.m. the Thursday before the meeting. They can also fill out cards to speak at the meeting on agenda items.

"There is an impediment, a barrier there," O'Connor told the committee about his belief the rule should be changed.

The committee, at O'Connor's request, will be seeking a legal opinion to gain clarity on the board's procedure for bringing back an issue once it fails. He said that's not just important for the public comment issue but other matters in the future.

The Grand Rapids' board's policy was implemented in 2006. O'Connor, who researched the largest school districts and area schools and local governments, said GRPS was the only body with the sign-up requirement.